A look back at the day that Luton Town Ladies created non-league history.
Saturday 23rd March 2024 was the annual 'non- league day'. This takes place each calendar year during an international break and the idea is for EFL fans, whose club do not have a game, to visit their local non-league club. The day is always a huge success for clubs up and down the country, who have more fans visit them than usual and lots of clubs benefit from this financially.
Luton Town Ladies currently compete in the fifth tier of the Women's Football pyramid, in the Eastern Region Women's Football League. On the subject of non-league day, lets take a look back at a record breaking day on 14th January 2024.
Luton Town Ladies progressed to the fourth round of the Women's FA Cup after defeating Keynsham Town 1-0 in the third round. This set up a record breaking tie against Women's Super League side, Brighton & Hove Albion. This was due to be the first time in the clubs history that they have faced a WSL team.
If facing off against a WSL team wasn't impressive enough, the Brighton line up was certainly a reminder of how great of an accomplishment this truly was. They was lead out by former Arsenal, Manchester City midfielder and Barcelona captain, Vicky Losada, who had won a Champions League as recently as 2021, which was 1 of her 13 major trophies. The Brighton team also included Katie Robinson, a full time England international.
' Magic of the cup' was an understatement here as Luton Town Ladies all have day jobs during the week, so to be playing against ladies whose job is professional football, is an amazing accomplishment.
The game finished 6-0 to the Seagulls but Luton kept the score at 0-0 until 10 minutes before Half Time, when Greek international Veatriki Sarri opened the scoring and Losada doubling the lead, 5 minutes before the break. In the second half Portuguese international Tatiana Pinto scored a brace, with WSL 3rd highest goal scorer, Elisabeth Terland getting on the score sheet, before 2 time Champions League winner, Pauline Bremer rounded off the game.
Luton Ladies defender, Elly Wade described the experience as "incredible, one I'll never forget and probably never get again."
Despite the result, it is a day that will live long in the history of Luton Town Ladies and in women's non-league football.
The crowd reached numbers of over 1500 in attendance, an astronomical increase to the usual attendance at Luton Town Ladies' home, Sharpenhoe Road, where numbers average from 20-100.
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